Four-horse evener.



PATENTED JUNE 23, 1908;v

lNo. 891,524.

W. R. GAMPBELL.

FOUR HORSE BVBNBR.

APPLICATION FILED APB.. 4. 1907.

m S m U W ATTORNEY.

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UNITED' sTATEs PATENT onsron.

WILLIAM R. CAMPBELL, OF LITTLE YORK, ILLINOIS.

FOUR-'HORSE EVENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1908.

.Application filed April 4, 1907. Serial No. 366,390.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM R. CAMP- BELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Little York, in the countyof Warren and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Four-HorseEveners, of which the following is a specification.

The invention set forth in the following specification, illustrated inthe accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appendedrelates to differential draft appli- One of tle main objects of theinvention is to provide an improved construction of such form of devicewhereby it may readily be changed from a three to a four horse evener.

Another object is to provide a simple means for rendering effective theoperation of said arms after they have by reason of long use become ofthemselves inefficient or powerless to return to their normal positionswhen, after stress has been put upon them, they have been drawnforwardly of such positions.

To provide a simple, strong and inexpensive construction, any part ofwhich may be repaired or replaced by a novice should it become damagedor broken constitutes a further object, While a fourth and final aim isto effect a more perfect equalization than has heretofore been had.

In the evolution of this invention subsidiary improvements have beendeveloped, which improvements will be presently related.

In the drawings hereinbefore referred to: Figure 1 is a top plan; Fig.2, a front elevation; Figs. 3, 4 and 5, details.

Referring to the drawings, let the numeral 1 indicate the mainequalizing bar or lever pivoted to the tongue in the usual mannerby aclevis pin 3. A longer compensating arm 4 normally parallels the shorterarm 5 of the lever 1 forwardly thereof, and a like` but shorter arm 6 isoffset therefrom at its rear side. Said bar and arms are connected bymeans of bolts passed loosely through a yoke 7.

8, 8 are hammer straps to connect the inner ends of the arms 4 and 6 inany suitable manner and restrain them from movement independently ofeach other. While the yoke is constructed preferably of resilientmaterial and the arm 6 so shaped that its bearing'against the bar 1 willtend to return it to its normal position (shown by full lines) after asudden jerk or other agent which causes it to assume the forwardposition shown by dot lines, continued usage will vrender its resiliencyweak and non-effective.

To counteract this I have provided a spring `10 fixed at one end to themain bar and its free end adapted to take against andslide freely on ananti-friction late 11 fixed to the arm 6 and provided wlth iianges 12.'A

Vsecond equalizing bar 13 comprising a longer arm 14 and a shorter arm15 is pivoted to the bar 4 by a pin 16 extending therethrough andthrough a connecting strap 17 which extends rearwardly and is pivoted tothe arm 6 by a pin passed through any one of a series of perforations18, by which means the distance or extent of separation of said parts isregulated. At the outer end of the arm 14 and in its horizontal plane isswiveled a swingletree 20 to which the furrow horse is attached. By aclevis 21 and pin 22 a doubletree 23 is pivoted to the shorter arm ofthe bar 13 and at each end it carries a swingletree-24 connected theretoby links 25. It will be evident without further illustration that thisconstruction is such that said swingletrees as well as another presentlydescribed can be swung in either direction to fold and lie closelyagainst the respective parts *to which they are coupled.

Midway of the longer arm 26 of the main bar is pivoted akeeper 27 intowhich is loosely slipped one end of a second auxiliary bar 28 couplednear its midlength by adjusting straps 29 provided with apertures 29a tothe distal end of the arm 26. By adjusting the straps 29 forwardly theouter end of the bar 28 may be adjusted forwardly to place the animalhitchedthereto in front of the others. A swingletree 30 is coupled bylinks 31 tothe outer end of the bar 28. If the animal hitched to theswingletree 30 be relatively more powerful than the others, the main barmay be slip ed outwardly through the yoke and the pin opped through theaperture 32, thereby shortening said-bar and decreasing the leverage atthat end.

In order to change the device from a four to a three horse evener, thedoubletree 23 is removed and a swingletree substituted therefor, thesingle animal hitched thereto being thus placed equidistant from thosehitched respectively to the trees 20 and 30. It will then be necessaryto readjust the bar 13 in an evident manner in order to maintain thedraft in equilibrium.

By the employment of the construction shown I have centralized the draftmore perfectly than heretofore in eveners of this type. All the stressexerted on the bars 13 and 23 and the parts to which they are connectedcomes finally upon the arms 4 and 6 and is compensated or taken upthereby and by the spring 10. The bar 13 being connected directly andindirectly to said arms is, after being suddenly jerked or drawn forwardof its normal position by any means, caused to be automatically adjustedby said arms and the s ring to the normal position shown at Fig. 1.

o sudden jerk will cause the necks or shoulders of the draft animals tobecome chafed, galled or sore when this device is used, as the springwill obviate all possibility thereof.

Unessential and minor changes may be made in the form, construction andassemblage of the device without departing from the general ideathereof. For instance, a tension spring might be employed between themain bar and the arm 4; or a coil spring might be employed instead ofthe one shown. In fact, I desire it understood that I comprehend myclaims as covering any construction of equalizer of the ty e shown inwhich elastic means is employe( to return the parts to their normalpositlons after they have been drawn therefrom by reason of abnormaldraft.

I therefore claim:-

1. In an evener, a main bar, like, divergent compensating arms at oneend thereof and a spring interposed between one of them and the bar.

2. .In an evener, a main bar, like, divergent compensating arms at oneend thereof adapted to have movement with relation thereto,

and means for returning said arms to their normal positions after theyhave been drawn therefrom.

3'. In an evener, a main bar, like, divergent compensating arms at oneend thereof, a pivotal connection between said bar and arms, and aspring interposed between said bar and one of the arms. v l

4. In an evener, a main bar, like, divergent compensating arms at oneend thereof, a pivotal connection between said bar and arms, a springinterposed between one of them and the bar, an auxiliary bar pivoted atthe other end of the main bar, a second auxiliary bar pivoted to one ofsaid arms and means whereby itis connected to the otherf 5. In anevener, a main bar, like, divergent compensating arms pivoted at one endthereof, means for uniting their inner ends, means interposed betweenone of them and the bar whereby both will be returned to their normalpositions after being drawn therefrom, an auxiliary bar pivoted to theother end of the main bar, a swingletree connected thereto, a secondauxiliary bar pivoted at one side of its midlength to one of the arms,and means for attaching draft animals to the ends thereof.

6. In an evener, a main bar, like, divergent compensating arms pivotedat one end thereof, means for uniting their inner ends, means interposedbetween one of them and the bar whereby both will be returned to theirnormal positions after being drawn therefrom, an auxiliary bar pivotedto the other end of the mainbar, a swingletree connected thereto, asecond auxiliary bar pivoted at one side of its midlength to one of thearms, a doubletree pivoted to its shorter and a swingletree to itslonger arm.

In Witness whereof I hereunto .subscribe my name in presence of twowitnesses this 23rd day of March, 1907.

' WILLIAM R. CAMPBELL.

Witnesses:

J. M. Bos'roN, H. M. RICHARDs.

